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    Five Things We Learned From New Book on Rafa Nadal and Roland-Garros

    Team_LatestInSportBy No Comments6 Mins Read


    By Erik Gudris | @atntennis | Wednesday Might 14, 2025

    Rafael Nadal and his dominance on clay, particularly at Roland-Garros, are explored in-depth within the new guide, The Warrior: Rafael Nadal and His Kingdom of Clay.

    Acclaimed tennis journalist Christopher Clarey, previously of the New York Instances and the Worldwide Herald-Tribune, explores Nadal’s legendary profession by focusing primarily not solely on why he excelled significantly on clay, but in addition on the historical past of the floor and its most well-known match, which Nadal received an unimaginable 14 occasions.

    Listed below are 5 issues we realized after ending this must-read guide.

    The French Championships Had been First Performed on Grass

    Earlier than the occasion turned often known as Roland-Garros (named for the famed WWI aviator), the “French Championships” have been contested at varied tennis golf equipment earlier than the inaugural version was held on the Racing Membership on Paris’s western outskirts in 1891. Though not formally confirmed, the primary matches have been performed on grass. So why the swap to clay, which possible occurred earlier than 1900? Tennis historians consider it was as a result of clay being simpler to keep up than grass and clay courts changing into extra widespread in southern Europe due to local weather and assets.

    Early Dangerous Luck for Nadal Opened the Door for Gaston Gaudio

    At age 16, a younger Nadal burst onto the scene and made an impression on the lead-up clay courtroom occasions in 2004 earlier than Paris, together with incomes wins over then reigning Roland-Garros champion Albert Costa after which later over one other former champion Carlos Moya. Expectations have been excessive that Nadal may make a large run in Paris.

    However earlier than he left Mallorca for Paris, Nadal hit some tennis with buddies and jumped the web for enjoyable. However a few of his buddies, pondering it could be humorous, lifted the web as he did. Nadal fell and suffered a slight fracture in his proper elbow. Because of this, he missed competing at Paris that 12 months. His absence, maybe, opened the door for eventual and shock champion Gaston Gaudio of Argentina to win the title in 5 units over his countryman Guillermo Coria.

    Nadal would go on to win his first Roland-Garros title in 2005 over Mariano Puerta.

    Nadal Admits His On-Court docket Rituals Are a “Catastrophe”

    A lot was stated and written about Nadal’s on-court “rituals” or “tics” throughout his profession, from organizing his water bottles in entrance of his chair a sure means, to adjusting his hair, shirt and shorts earlier than every serve, simply to call just a few. In truth, as he grew older, the routine turned much more elaborate.

    But, regardless of the assumption by many who Nadal has OCD, that has been denied by each him and his workforce. Nevertheless, Nadal when requested in regards to the rituals admitted they’re strictly for the courtroom solely.

    “They seem to be a catastrophe, sincerely,” he stated. “Individuals see my routines on the courtroom and consider that I’m somebody with a lot of routines and superstitions exterior the courtroom, however exterior the courtroom I’m virtually at zero. I have to be actually organized when I’m competing, however in my private life, I am somebody who is actually disorganized and somebody who is just not actually on time or tremendous kind A. However when I’m on the courtroom, the routines enable me to remain completely focused on what there may be to do.”

    Nadal and Federer Camps Weren’t At all times So Pleasant

    Regardless of their lengthy rivalry, each Nadal and Roger Federer now share an excellent friendship and admiration for one another. However, that wasn’t the case early on of their careers, particularly between their respective groups when Nadal started to threaten the World No. 1 Federer, who nonetheless dominated the ATP Tour.

    By 2006, Nadal and Federer’s workforce have been recognized to talk ailing of the opposite participant in personal. Nadal’s camp thought Federer wasn’t disciplined together with his weight-reduction plan and never having the identical work ethic as Nadal.

    On Federer’s facet, some in his workforce questioned how Nadal may display his ferocious endurance on courtroom and requested officers how typically Nadal was being drug examined.

    The back-and-forth sniping acquired so unhealthy that finally the ATP stepped in and requested each side to speak with one another instantly and never depend on false rumors.

    As Nadal’s agent Benito Perez-Barbiadillo remembers of the time, “They (Nadal and Federer) have been actually two good human beings, so that they needed to discuss to one another and never hear what the entourages have been saying.”

    Will the Stadium Court docket in Paris Be Named for Nadal Sometime?

    All through Nadal’s profession, and his dominance over Roland-Garros, it is no shock that the French followers, as a result of Nadal is Spanish, went from suspicion to begrudging acceptance, to lastly overt popularity of Nadal’s achievements on the occasion. Nevertheless, the rumors that at some point the principle stadium courtroom might be renamed in Nadal’s honor are simply that.

    At present, the courtroom is known as in honor of the late Worldwide Tennis Federation president Philippe Chatrier. If the courtroom is ever renamed, it is attainable it is going to be for a French participant down the highway.

    But simply exterior the complicated’s entrance gate is a brand new ten-foot stainless-steel statue of an airborne Nadal that celebrates his immortal standing because the “King of Clay.”

    The Warrior: Rafael Nadal and His Kingdom of Clay is now available in shops and on-line.

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